Ravioli with Zucchini, Onions, & Mushrooms

We're still stuffing ourselves with zucchini over here! My parents did a mega-sized zucchini drop off last week, which we shredded for baking & freezing. We also had one from our garden & another one from them, so it was time to start cooking!

Last weekend, we shopped at Roots Market in Maryland while we were down there. I love that store!!! They had this ravioli on sale. It was SO GOOD!! We both liked it better than just about any ravioli we've had. The raviolis were the perfect size with exactly the right amount of flavorful vegan filling. It was slightly less mushy than ravioli filling typically tends to be, which we preferred. I hope to see it for sale in more stores!

That said, this recipe will easily work with any ravioli, vegan or not. We've also cooked perogies the same way.

I like a good veggie-to-pasta ratio, so this is chock full of veggies in every bite. The amount you have really depends on the size of your zucchini, so if you like more or less, use a larger or smaller zucchini.

This meal comes together in less than half an hour. It's a perfect week night meal! My only regret is that there weren't leftovers. :-)

Ravioli with Zucchini, Onions, & Mushrooms

Serves 2-3

1 red onion, sliced

5-6 white mushrooms, sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced & cut into half moons

1/2 c dry white wine

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. black pepper (to taste)

1/2-1 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

1 9 oz. package fresh* ravioli (I used La Pasta Vegan Cheese Ravioli)

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion over medium-low heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add mushrooms & cook another 3-4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add zucchini, white wine, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, pepper, & salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until zucchini starts to soften & wine reduces slightly. Gently stir in ravioli, cooking over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until ravioli is done. If pan gets too dry, add in either a splash of wine or water. Serve immediately.

*Frozen ravioli will also work, just let it thaw slightly before cooking. It may take a little longer & a little more liquid to completely cook, so test it to be sure it's done.

Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas

I made dinner the other night with no intention of it being anything worth sharing. We had some eggplant from the farm market & I wanted to make sandwiches, so I started building with what we had on hand.

We ended up loving these! They were quick & easy, with lots of room for variations based on what you have on hand. Kale could easily be replaced with other hearty leafy greens (chard, collards, spinach), eggplant could be replaced with zucchini, feta replaced with gorgonzola, and so on. We loved this particular combo & would definitely make it again, but if you have similar ingredients on hand, save yourself a trip to the store.

If you're looking for a quick dinner that doesn't require the oven, this is it! Great for summer nights. Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas
Serves 2

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
3-4 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or use 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to save chopping time)
4 large leaves of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped into small pieces
1/2 c dry white wine
2 whole wheat pita rounds, sliced in half
1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
4 T crumbled feta cheese

Sprinkle eggplant slices evenly with garlic powder, sea salt, & red pepper flakes. On a grill (or grill pan) lightly coated with olive oil spray, cook eggplant slices over medium heat. After about 6 minutes, flip slices & cook the other side about 6 minutes. Eggplant should be soft & lightly browned.

In the meantime, use a nonstick skillet to cook onions over medium heat until they start to soften. Add mushrooms, cook for 4 minutes, then add garlic & kale. Once kale starts to soften, add white wine. Increase heat & simmer until wine evaporates.

Once eggplant is done cooking, slice rounds into strips about 1/2" wide. Open pita pockets & stuff all 4 halves with equal amounts of eggplant. Divide mushroom & kale mixture between the 4 pita halves. Then add sliced avocado to each, plus 1 T feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Note:
Both the eggplant & the mushroom/kale mixture can be made ahead of time & stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat both briefly before stuffing pitas and serving.

Easy Three Bean Salad

 

Here's a perfect kick-off to summer recipe for you! It's healthy, filling, & delicious.

 For those of you with plenty of potluck picnics to attend, this is just the thing to bring. It can be eaten cold or at room temperature. No mayo or eggs to worry about spoiling in the heat.

It's also very easy to make & suits many allergies/dietary restrictions. It's vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, & dairy-free! What more could you want from a simple side dish? You can even make it a quick weeknight dinner by pairing it with a green salad and some hearty bread.

My mom made a lot of bean salad when I was growing up. She's the one who gave me this recipe, but I made a few tweaks. The main change was to take out the green beans. They aren't my favorite veggie, so while I do enjoy green beans in some ways (like grilled!), I don't like them in bean salad. However, if you are a green bean lover, feel free to add in about 1 cup of lightly steamed 1 inch pieces.



Easy Three Bean Salad
Serves 8-10

1.5 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c frozen lima beans, thawed
1/2 of a yellow or white onion, minced finely
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced finely
1/3 c sucanat or coconut sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c apple cider vinegar

Mix together all three kinds of beans, onion, bell pepper, sucanat, salt, & pepper. Pour apple cider vinegar over mixture & stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Note: This salad lasts quite awhile when covered & stored in the refrigerator. I like to make a batch to go with lunches & it's perfect for 2 people for at least a week.

Broccoli & Chickpea Stir-Fry

I know stirfry is pretty normal. It's quick, easy, & adaptable to what you have in the fridge. This particular version is a standard for us, & it's gluten free! While we do eat a lot of gluten free meals, by nature, it is a challenge to make sure that nothing has gluten in it. There are a lot of unsuspecting products (like soy sauce) that have wheat in them. I've been using Bragg Liquid Aminos for awhile now anyway, but when I was going through our cupboards, I found an old bottle of soy sauce that has gluten in it.

 I've been doing a gluten free diet experiment to see how my body reacts, if at all. So far, I don't notice much difference, but we will see when I re-introduce it. In case you're wondering, I'm doing this experiment for health reasons, as I hope to work on healing my thyroid.

One of the easiest dishes to prepare gluten free is a stirfry. They are usually served with rice anyway, so as long as none of the other ingredients have gluten in them, you're in the clear without even realizing its gluten free at all!

So as a quick, gluten free meal, we had some delicious stir-fry over the weekend! I'm in love with rice noodles. I love how they soak up the flavors from the sauce & are soft in texture, a great contrast to the crunch of the veggies. The chickpeas add a different texture, too, plus some staying power to the dish.

Bup likes a zillion noodles with his. :-)

I hope you'll try this! It's filling, nourishing, & most importantly, delicious!

Broccoli & Chickpea Stirfry over Rice Noodles

Serves 4

Gluten Free, Vegan option

1 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 carrot, chopped into rounds

5 button mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets & stems peeled, sliced & chopped

1 1/2 c chickpeas (14 oz. can)

1/2 c Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, gluten free if necessary)

2 T rice vinegar

1 T organic ketchup

1 T lime juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. honey (or agave syrup for vegan option)

1 8 oz. package brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's Maifun Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil in preparation for cooking the rice noodles. While it comes to a boil, prepare stirfry as follows.

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion until softened over medium heat (about 4 minutes). Add bell pepper, jalapenos, carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli stems. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, prepare sauce by whisking together Braggs, rice vinegar, ketchup, lime juice, salt, ginger, and honey. Pour sauce into the wok, then add broccoli florets and chickpeas. Stir to combine, then cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is lightly steamed and mixture is heated through.

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Divide noodles into four bowls and top each with 1/4 of the stirfry. Serve immediately.

Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce

Last week, I had friends over for dinner. We all love pasta & one of them suggested we have a cheese sauce. Because cheese sauce can be very heavy & highly calorie, I decided to lighten it up.  

As I was considering what to use for creamy texture, I thought of white beans. They provide such a creamy texture to bean dips (like white bean hummus) that I thought they'd be perfect. Since I had a feeling my friends would be skeptical (one of them doesn't like beans!), I made the sauce before they came & had them taste it. Both thought it was tasty & cheesy. They were surprised when I told them it didn't have any cheese in it at all. After that, I did add a bit of parmesan, but if you are dairy-free or vegan, this recipe doesn't need it. It's still cheese-like without it.

I hope you'll think outside the box & try this recipe. It's full of flavor & much healthier than traditional cheese sauces. Beans not only add creaminess, but also fiber, protein, & numerous nutrients. It's win-win! Comfort food at its best.

Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce
Coats 1 lb. pasta

1 tsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1.5 c cooked white beans (or 1 can, rinsed)
4-5 cloves of roasted garlic*
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 c unsweetened original almond milk
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-4 T freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit or use nutritional yeast to make vegan)

In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil & saute onion over medium heat. Once soft, about 3-5 minutes, add white beans, garlic, mustard & almond milk. Heat until it just starts to simmer. Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender, puree sauce until smooth. (Alternately, you can pour the sauce into a blender & blend. Allow to cool slightly before blending to prevent any explosions!) Turn burner back to low & gently heat sauce. Add Italian seasoning, salt to taste, black pepper, & parmesan cheese. Keep warm until ready to use. If your sauce cooks too long, it may get too thick. Add another 1/4-1/2 c almond milk to thin.

*To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350*F. Slice off the top of the garlic heads, to expose the tops of the cloves. Wrap each head seperately in aluminum foil & drizzle each head with 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until garlic is soft. Squeeze cloves out of the husks. Roasted garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Another great use for roasted garlic is my Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread. Roast several cloves at once to make sure you have plenty - it never seems to go to waste in our house!

Tomato, Mushroom, & Ravioli Soup

If you like ravioli with tomato sauce, this is the soup for you! It's the soup version of the pasta dish, perfect for warming you up on a cold winter day & filling you up without you feeling heavy.

Several years ago (before we became vegetarian) I made this soup as the original recipe is written, with the ground beef. I hadn't thought much of it since, because though we liked it, it wasn't vegetarian. This week, however, we remembered it, & I thought I'd adapt it to be meatless.

The result is a hearty, flavorful soup that we loved. It would be a good tomato & mushroom soup even without the raviolis, but they put it over the top. The recipe makes plenty of soup, so this would be a good one to make when you're having guests. It's quick & easy, with minimal chopping required. While it simmered, I prepared a green salad to go with it. The whole meal came together in 45 minutes!

Enjoy & stay warm!

Tomato, Mushroom,& Ravioli Soup

Adapted from Taste of Home

Serves 8-10

1 1/2 c onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced

1 6 oz. package baby portobello mushrooms, diced

2 cans (28 oz. each) diced tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 1/2 c water

1 1/2 T dried parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 package (9 oz.) frozen bite size cheese ravioli

grated Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

In a large pot, saute onion, jalapeno, & mushrooms until soft & fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except ravioli & parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer & cook for 30 minutes. Add ravioli & cook another 5 minutes, or until raviolis are heated through. Serve hot, topped with parmesan cheese if desired.

Asian Inspired Brown Rice Noodle Bowl

We had to make a quick dinner last Thursday. I get home from work at 5:15ish, & we needed to cook & eat in an hour before heading out again. I was originally going to make a pasta with tomato sauce (that I made & froze earlier), but I was in the mood for something different. This dish came together quickly, especially with the Bup helping chop veggies while I mixed the sauce.

We had a few moments of panic when the water wouldn't come to a boil. Somehow the flame went out on the burner, but it was still pumping gas out into the air! Luckily the Bup discovered what happened before we got gassed out. Even with the set-back, we still had time to do the dishes before leaving.

I love the many flavors of Asian cooking. There is such a variety of sauces & they all have their own unique differences that really bring something to a dish. As a vegetarian, it's always a joy to go to an Asian style restaurant because their foods rely heavily on whole grains & veggies. 

This dish had equal parts crunch & chew, plus some creamy bites due to the avocado. The sauce does have a kick to it from the chili garlic sauce, so if you are sensitive to heat, you may want to omit that. It would change the flavor a bit, but it would still be good. I hope you get the chance to make this. I know we'll be making it again. I can't wait!

 

Asian Inspired Brown Rice Noodle Bowl

Serves 4

 

8 oz. brown rice noodles

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 large or 4 small bell peppers, sliced

1 jalapeno, diced

3 oz. edamame (fresh or frozen)

1 carrot, shredded

1 avocado, diced

juice from 1 lime

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 T toasted sesame oil

3-4 T Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

1 T natural creamy peanut butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (like this)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. honey

1-2 T water, if needed to thin
1/4 c peanuts

Start the heat under a large pot of water to begin to bring it to a boil. Saute the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, carrot, & edamame over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, or until the veggies soften. 

In a small bowl, gently toss the avocado with the fresh lime juice (this prevents browning). Set aside. Whisk all of the remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Once the veggies and sauce are ready, cook the rice noodles according to package directions.*  Drain & combine noodles, veggies & sauce in a large serving bowl. Serve immediately. Top each serving with about 1 T of peanuts.

*Rice noodles take such a short time to cook that it's best to wait so that you can mix everything together as soon as they are done cooking.

Inspired by Grubarazzi's Avocado Rice Noodles

Mac 'n Cheeze Vegetable Casserole

On Saturday at market, they had broccoli on sale, 3 head for $5. So far, I've used 1 head; it was large enough for us to have steamed as part of our rice bowls on Saturday night, added to this casserole, & eated for lunch on Monday. I have 2 heads left. I think tonight we'll have broccoli soup. Maybe tomorrow night we can roast it. Good thing I love broccoli!

This dish is a lighter take on macaroni & cheese. While it is admittedly less creamy, you can always double the sauce recipe to get more of a traditional casserole. The flavors are delicious & it has the added benefit of being very healthy. We love this pumpkin cheeze sauce & I was so excited to have it for the first time this fall! I discovered it from Angela's blog last fall & we had it many times, but then we moved on from pumpkins & sort of forgot about it until now.

Even if you're skeptical of this, just try it. I think you'll love it! It tastes decadent, even though it's full of healthy ingredients. The pasta to vegetable ratio is perfect for me (about even). If you prefer more veggies or more pasta, just tweak it to your liking. It's easy to mix up this dish.

Enjoy!

Mac 'n Cheeze Vegetable Casserole

Sauce inspired by OhSheGlows.com

Serves 6

1 box whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 large onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

1 T organic butter

1 1/2 c unsweetened original almond milk

1 T cornstarch

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

8 T nutritional yeast

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. dried ground mustard

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4-1/2 c panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray. Prepare pasta as indicated on the box. While the water boils & the past cooks, prepare remaining ingredients.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onions until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add peppers, jalapeno, & garlic. Cook for another 4 minutes, then add zucchini & broccoli. Cook just until tender.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add milk & cornstarch, whisking until smooth. Stir in garlic powder, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, dried ground mustard, and pumpkin. Combine, then add salt & pepper, adjusting to taste.

Once everything is ready, combine pasta, vegetables, and sauce. Stir until noodles are all coated with sauce. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Top with panko bread crumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and the top is browned.

NOTE:

Alternately, you can skip the baking step and serve as a stove top mac n' cheeze. I like the baking step because the flavors have more time to meld & the top gets crunchy, but for a quicker meal, it's still tasty pre-baking!



Spicy Rubbed Grilled Tofu

Due to the overwhelming amount of produce in our house, we had a feast on Monday night! The Bup grilled tofu, an enormous onion, cherry tomatoes on skewers, & corn on the cob. I think one of the best things about veggies is that they're bulky, so you feel like you're really eating a lot but it's all healthy!

As a protein to pair with the veggies, we had tofu. Our favorite way to eat tofu is to cut it nice & thin, cover it with a rub, & grill it. It's faster by far than waiting for it to marinate, plus the rubs give it a lot of flavor. We often dip the tofu into a bbq sauce, ketchup, or peanut sauce as we eat it.

I've tried using several rubs, some homemade & some not. One of our favorites is the cajun rub that I've used on grilled corn in the past. The version we had on Monday was a Homemade Spicy Cool-Ranch Dorito Rub. It wasn't nearly as flavorful or spicy as the recipe looked like it would be, but it was still good.

I'm including a brief how-to & a recipe for another rub we love. Feel free to use your favorite rub!

Cajun Rubbed Grilled Tofu

Serves 2

1 14 oz. package extra firm tofu, pressed & sliced into 8 thin pieces

              (See here for tips on pressing & slicing.)

Don't Wipe Your Eyes Rub

adapted from here

1/2 c paprika (regular will work, we also like smoked paprika for some extra flavor!)
1/4 c black pepper
1/3 c sugar (we use evaporated cane juice)
3 T sea salt
3 T chili powder
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
1 T cayenne pepper

Mix together ingredients for the rub. Spoon enough rub onto each slice to cover both sides, rubbing it in until the slice is coated well. There will be leftover rub, which can be stored in an airtight container for at least a month.

Preheat grill to 500F & coat grill rack with oil to prevent sticking. Lay tofu in a single layer on hot grill and close lid. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then open lid and flip the tofu. If it sticks, let it cook a few minutes longer before turning. Once flipped, close lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from grill and serve hot!

Veggie Summer Rolls

Ever since we went to a local Vietnamese restaurant & I ordered some fabulous tofu summer rolls, I've been dying to make my own. There are many variations & the more I looked, the more intimidating it became. Most recipes involve a lot of steps, & the more cooked ingredients that go into the rolls, the longer the process becomes. I weeded through many recipes & figured in our taste buds before deciding on these ingredients. A lot of the recipes include rice noodles, but I'll admit that I just don't have the patience to bother with that mess!

We're growing what we thought were 2 kinds of mint in our garden. We started one from a bunch of chocolate mint from the market, & the other from a sprig of "mint" from the Vietnamese restaurant. We used a combination of the two in these rolls, & as you can see in the above picture, it's hard to really tell the difference. While we were eating, we could definitely taste a difference. As we were talking, I mentioned Thai basil & how it was in a lot of the recipes I found. When I googled it, we discovered that Thai basil is actually very similar to mint. It's recommended that if you do not have or can't find Thai basil, to substitute mint, not sweet Italian basil. Very interesting!

I'm excited that we're growing Thai basil & I can't wait to use it more now that I know what it is!

Don't let these intimidate you! From start to finish, you can have them done in just over an hour. We worked together to roll them, so if you have a friend/spouse to help, you can have a rolling party!

If anyone was wondering (like I did!), the main difference between summer rolls & spring rolls is that spring rolls are usually fried. I like the freshness (& healthiness) of summer rolls. I've tried spring rolls in restaurants & the flavor of the veggies doesn't come through as well.

I'm sure you could dip these in a sweet chili sauce, duck sauce, soy sauce, or many other things, but I'm partial to peanut sauce. I like it so much that I can remember my first taste!

I learned to like Asian while visiting my aunt in Oregon. I ordered plain broccoli & rice, no sauce, but the lady in the Thai restaurant told me she was putting on the sauce because I would like it. There was no arguing with her, & after I tasted it, I realized she was right! After that visit, we always went to that restaurant until one year when it closed. We tried a new place & that was where I had my first peanut sauce. I remember keeping the little bowl & using a spoon to eat the leftovers.

All that to say that making the sauce is definitely worth the extra step! Enjoy!

Veggie Summer Rolls
Inspired by OhSheGlows.com
Serves 2 as main dish or 4-6 as appetizer

10 Spring Roll Wrappers
1 block extra-firm tofu
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
3 medium carrots, grated
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1/4 of a small cabbage, julienned
10 mint or Thai basil leaves (do not substitute regular basil!)
1 batch Mama Pea's Peanut Mmmm Sauce or other favorite sauce

Slice tofu into 8 pieces & press for at least 20 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, chop the veggies & make the peanut sauce. Place tofu on a baking sheet in a single layer & broil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip tofu & broil again for 5 minutes to brown the other side. Remove from tray, allow to cool slightly, & cut each piece into 4 long slices. Fill a large bowl with hot water (from the tap is fine). Lay out a clean dish towel. Submerge a spring roll wrapper into the hot water until soft. Carefully lay the wrapper on the dish towel & smooth out any folds or creases. Assemble ingredients in the center of the wrapper (I layed down a mint leaf, then 3 pieces of tofu, 2 red pepper sticks, some cabbage, & sprinkled onions & carrots on top). Fold in the sides of the wrapper. Fold down the top, then roll tightly. Set on a plate & repeat process with remaining wrappers. Serve immediately!

Vibrant Lemon & Avocado Kale Salad

We really have a thing for kale in our house. I think I've mentioned that a few zillion times already! I hope you like it as much as I do.

I didn't really eat kale until a couple years ago, so I think I'm making up for lost time. Plus it's seriously delicious. I like it raw, cooked, as a spread, in soup, growing in the garden, as a chip, in smoothies, & everywhere in between!

Last night, we had our kale in the form of a huge salad paired with Jenna's Spicy Black Bean Burgers. These are one of our go-to bean burgers because they're super yummy & easy to throw together.

The salad is fresh & bright, with lots of flavor. I love the creaminess that the avocado gives to it. Avocadoes are full of healthy fats, & in this case, it adds some bulk to an otherwise fairly light salad.

I brought kale salad to the Bup's family Christmas dinner & to my family Easter dinner. Both versions had variations of this dressing, but I felt like it needed a few tweaks to be just perfect. The recipe below is that I've decided is the best of the bunch.

If you've never had a kale salad, here are a few tips:

1. Unlike lettuce salads, you can dress it ahead of time & it will only get better. The flavors marinate & the kale softens slightly, making it easier to chew.

2. You have to commit to getting your hands in there & massaging the kale. There's really no better way to get the dressing spread evenly & to soften the kale leaves. Just be prepared - if you have even the slightest knick in your skin, it will burn from the lemon juice!

3. Kale is a chewier green than lettuce, so it's not a traditional salad. It is, however, extra full of flavor & health benefits!

Enjoy!

Vibrant Lemon & Avocado Kale Salad
Dressing inspired by Tracy
Serves 2-4

1 bunch kale, stems removed & torn into pieces
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 apple, chopped

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp. honey or maple syrup

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Combine kale & dressing in a large bowl. Massage with your hands (wash them first!) until the kale softens & turns a dark, shiny green. Add avocado cubes, onion slices, & apple. Toss to mix & serve.

Note: Salad can be made ahead of time. Once dressed, just cover & place in the fridge until time to serve. Flavors will develop as it marinates.

Lemon Pepper Kale

There's nothing like a plate of greens to give you a burst of energy!

We eat kale pretty often & if you saw my garden last summer, you know I grew plenty!

I still have a little bit left to use before the next patch starts growing, so I'm trying out a few new methods of preparation. Since this crop lived through the winter, it has a sweeter flavor from surviving the frost. Any kale will work for this recipe, though!

This would make a light meal if paired with some crusty bread or topped with beans, hummus or tempeh. It's the perfect food to kick off spring!

I'm loving this crazy warm weather! 70 in March? I'll take it!

Lemon Pepper Kale

Serves 2

1 bunch kale, washed & stems removed

1/2 large yellow onion, sliced

1 tsp. coconut oil

Juice from 1 lemon

1 T lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a large, non-stick skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions & cook to soften, about 5 minutes. Add kale & cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Pour lemon juice onto kale & continue to cook until it turns dark green & wilts slightly, another 5 minutes or so. Season with lemon pepper & sea salt. Serve warm.

Red Cabbage & Pear Salad with Mango Dressing

I can hardly believe it's almost 2012! Every time I stop to think about it, I'm in shock. Really, it makes me feel old...3 years married, home-owning, closing in on the 5 year college reunion mark OLD.

But that's a good thing. I'm happy with what I've done so far in my life & I look forward to the upcoming years with anticipation of what's to come.

The surest way to make sure my hubby & I have a chance at enjoying a long life together is to feed us well. Incorporating lots of nutrient dense foods into our life will give us energy to handle whatever 2012 & beyond throws at us. I'm ready!

I'm not planning any big new year's resolutions. My main goal is to empty the freezer because it's in dire need of a defrosting. That might not sound too hard, but I have (happily!!) a major grocery shopping problem. So the hard part of emptying the freezer is that I have to stop buying more food. I'm aiming for a defrost in late March. We'll see...maybe by then I can put the contents outside to stay cold while it defrosts? 

This salad was inspired by a jar of Trader Joe's mango butter, a chunk of red cabbage, & some overly ripe pears that were sitting in my fridge. When I googled ways to combine red cabbage & pears, many of the recipes included sliced mango, giving me the idea to use that flavor in the dressing. If you don't have access to a Trader Joe's & can't find mango butter elsewhere, I'm sure you could use apple or pear butter in it's place & add mango slices.

Red Cabbage & Pear Salad with Mango Dressing
Serves 6-8

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, grated
1/4 of a large red onion, sliced
1 pear, chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T mango butter*
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Combine cabbage, carrot, onion, & pear in a large bowl. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mango butter & sea salt. Pour dressing over the salad. Stir & allow to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

*Feel free to substitute apple or pear butter if you can't find mango butter. If you still want the mango flavor, add a few slices to the salad.